The Man With No Talent
by Honey Kitten
Summary: Lyndsey and Peep try to find a talent for the man...who seemingly doesn't have one. (Not Bink)
1. Saving the Kitten

Saving the Kitten  
Lyndsey woke up first, and rolled over to look at Peep. Ever since they had met, they had been inseparable. He had even stayed with her while she served her one's years' service to the Good Magician Humphrey. After she had finished, they had started a Quest. Well really, Lyndsey had started a Quest, and Peep was helping her. She was finding people who didn't like their talents, and helping them get new ones.  
Peep rolled over, and his eyes opened. Lyndsey still hadn't gotten over his eyes. They were green in the middle, and then they were ringed with blue. They had golden brown flecks in them. At the moment, at least. His eyes changed colours all the time. Sometimes they were solid green, or blue, or brown, or sometimes they were all three. Lyndsey could spend an eternity just looking at his eyes.  
"Good morning!" Peep said, sitting up. He was definitely a morning person. "Did ya sleep well?" he asked.  
Lyndsey blinked, realizing that she had been staring. "Uh…yeah, good," she said. She wasn't so much of a morning person, herself- and she was a bit embarrassed.  
Peep looked concerned. "If you didn't get enough sleep…" he trailed off, closing his eyes.  
"No no, that's ok," Lyndsey protested. She was wide enough awake to know that Peep was about to use his talent to make it night. "I got enough sleep, really." She smiled at him. He smiled back.  
"Ok. But you know, I could make it night for a different reason…" he left his sentence unfinished, sending Lyndsey a suggestive glance and winking. Lyndsey rolled her eyes and shook her head.  
"Let's just go get some breakfast," she said. Peep shrugged and stood up. He threw a hand down to help Lyndsey up.  
"Breakfast it is," Peep said, his eyes twinkling mischievously.   
"Wha-" Lyndsey started to ask, as Peep pulled her up into his arms. Her question was interrupted as Peep kissed her.  
"Mmm…good breakfast," he teased, grinning. Lyndsey tried to muster a glare at him, but couldn't manage it. Instead she just blushed. Peep laughed. "Ok, ok. Let's go get some real food." Lyndsey nodded, and they headed off into the bush.  
Soon enough, they came along a pie-tree. Lyndsey picked off a blueberry-pie and Peep picked off a lemon-pie. They picked some milkweed pods from a milkweed plant that was growing nearby, and settled down to eat.   
They had just finished eating when they were approached by a crying girl. "Oh please, can you help me?" she wailed.  
Lyndsey perked up. "What is it? Do you hate your talent?" Maybe this girl was the next person she would help.  
The girl looked at her strangely. "No. I just lost my kitten. She wandered in here from Mundania and I adopted her."  
"Oh," Lyndsey said. Recovering, she said, "of course we'll help you find her!" She glanced at Peep, and up at the sky. Peep nodded, and closed his eyes. He raised his arm, and a moment later, it was brighter out. "Thanks," Lyndsey said. Peep's talent had manifested, just like his sisters'. Now he could not only make it day and night, but also alter the time of day as far or near as he liked.  
"No problem," Peep said, glancing at the distressed girl.   
"I can help her," Lyndsey said reassuringly. It was bright out enough now that she could see everything. She invoked her talent of Flying For Short Periods of Time by simply thinking about invoking it. Then she was floating, up above the trees. She brought herself down a little, so that she could see everything. She flew back towards the way that the girl had come from, and sure enough, the kitten was up at the top of a tree. Unfortunately, it was a tangle tree.  
"Oh boy," Lyndsey muttered. The girl hadn't mentioned that the kitten was possibly up a tangle tree. It must have been some climber in Mundania! Either that, or the tangle tree just didn't want to bother with something so small.  
Lyndsey landed on the ground, her talent of flying having exhausted itself for now. How could she get up the tree? She mentally ticked off her talents…Small Illusions, Flying for Short Periods of Time, Unlocking Locked Doors, Changing Hair Colour, Becoming Invisible for Short Periods of Time, Mild Distractions, Becoming Lightweight, Becoming Heavyweight, Voice Projection…and a few others.  
After a few moments, Lyndsey got a lightbulb. If she created a mild distractions, then followed that up with a small illusion- she could become invisible, and lightweight, and save the kitten!  
Without a moment's pause, she set off the distraction. A small bang came from somewhere to the right. The tangle trees' tentacles quivered. Lyndsey then created the illusion of a small girl, looking lost. Lyndsey voice projected a whimper coming from the girl. The tangle tree took interest. Lyndsey used that moment to become invisible, and lightweight. As the little illusion girl cried, Lyndsey floated up to the kitten. Taking hold of its small body, she went back to normal weight and began flying simultaneously. She flew quickly back to Peep and the girl, as the illusion had disappeared, and the tangle tree was mad.  
"I'm back!" Lyndsey called, setting down on the ground. The kitten wriggled in her hands.  
"That's great!" Peep said. "But where are you?" Both he and the girl were looking around.  
"Oops! Sorry," Lyndsey apologized. She had forgotten that she was still invisible. Remembering now, she became visible. "Right here! And I brought the kitty!"  
"Oh, thank you, thank you!" the girl cried, running over to Lyndsey. She took hold of the kitten, and hugged it close. "How can I ever repay you?" She looked truly grateful.  
"It's no problem," Lyndsey answered. "Really," she added, as the girl looked skeptical.  
"Well, thank you!" the girl said, turning and walking away. The kitten had wriggled out of her arms, and the girl was chasing it.  
"Maybe you could get a leash for her!" Lyndsey cried after her.  
"Good idea!" came the answer. Lyndsey chuckled. She hoped the kitten didn't find its way up another tangle tree any time soon.  
"Where to next?" Peep asked, coming to stand beside Lyndsey.  
"I guess we just meander around. See if anyone else needs help."  
"Anywhere…as long as I'm with you," Peep answered. Lyndsey smiled and leaned in close to them. It was the starting of another adventure! 


	2. Meeting Reso

Meeting Reso  
  
Lyndsey and Peep were just starting to get tired of walking when they came upon another person. He was sitting by a tree, looking bored. For the most part, he seemed to be a completely ordinary man- brown hair, blue eyes, dark pants and a blue shirt. There was nothing special about him- except that he looked so sad.  
"Maybe he's the next person that we're supposed to help!" Lyndsey squealed. Peep smiled and held onto Lyndsey's hand as she rushed towards the man.  
"Hi there," she said, kneeling down next to him. The man looked up slowly.  
"Oh. Hi," he said.  
"What's the matter?" Lyndsey asked.  
"Nothing much," he said, sighing.  
"Oh, come on, tell me," Lyndsey urged. "Maybe we can help." The man looked up at her skeptically.  
"I doubt it," he said, sounding defeated.  
"Please?" Lyndsey asked.   
The man sighed and rolled his eyes. "I don't have a talent," he admitted. Lyndsey smiled brightly.  
"That's great! I'm on a quest to get people who don't like their talents knew talents!" she said.  
"I don't think you're listening. I don't have a talent at all," the man said. Lyndsey looked a bit taken aback.  
"Well, I'm sure that's not true. You probably have a talent that you just don't know about. You are Xanthian, aren't you?"  
"Yes, I was born in Xanth. But I don't have a talent. Magic sniffers don't even come near me. I'm just a talentless," he sighed, "bum."  
"Aw, now that's not true!" Lyndsey insisted. "Look, my talent is to be able to take talents from others. If I use it with reverse wood, then I can give talents to other people. Why don't we try that?" The man brightened up a little.  
"But what if the reverse wood goes haywire?" he asked, skeptical.  
"Well, it worked the last time I tried it. Of course…I was with two full Sorceresses. But I'm at least a Neo-Sorceress…well, let's just try it," she said.  
The three of them all stood up, looking for reverse wood. Peep found some first, but refused to touch it. "I had a bad experience when I was little," he admitted. Lyndsey rolled her eyes but smiled, picking up the wood.  
"I'm using it, so I'll just take it," she said. Then she turned to the man. Shaking her head, she realized they hadn't asked what his name was.  
"Wait," she said. "What's your name?"  
The man shook his head. "Everyone just calls me Loser." Lyndsey looked shocked.  
"Well…that's not a good name," she said, trying not to look at the man with too much pity. "What would you like to be called?" she asked.  
"I don't know." The man shrugged.  
Lyndsey shot a Look to Peep. 'Help me,' she mouthed.  
"We could call you Reso," Peep suggested. Lyndsey brightened up.  
"Reso! That's a great name! Do you like it?" she asked the man. He shrugged again.  
"I guess so," he said. But he looked a bit happier.  
"Ok! So let's try to give you a talent now," Lyndsey said, picking up the reverse wood. "Just stand right there," she said to Reso, putting her hand on his arm. She attempted to take his talent, like she had with Day and Night, to give their talent back. Suddenly Peep's hair turned purple. Lyndsey looked surprised.  
"I was trying to give you the talent of changing hair colour. But it went to Peep. That's weird," she said.  
"The reverse wood must not have worked," Reso said.  
"But it worked so well last time," Lyndsey muttered.  
"Wait," Peep interjected. "How did you know that I got the talent?" He was attempting to look at his hair, but failing. Lyndsey stifled a laugh.  
"Uhh...it's purple," she said.  
"Oh. Do you think it suits me?" Peep asked, winking at her.  
"I think I like it better blonde," Lyndsey commented. "But the purple does match your…" she looked into his eyes. They were green rimmed with blue at the moment. "…green eyes," she finished, grinning.  
"Well, if you like it that much…" Peep trailing off, teasing her.  
"Just change it back," Lyndsey mock-threatened.  
"And if I don't?" Peep asked playfully.  
"I'll kiss you."  
"Then I think I'll leave it," Peep said, looking at her. Lyndsey blushed.  
"If you change it back, I'll make it two kisses," she offered.  
"Deal," Peep said. A moment later his hair was blonde again. "Do you want this talent back?" he asked.  
"Why don't you keep it for a little while," Lyndsey suggested. Then she remembered Reso. "Uh, I'll pay up later," she said.  
"Don't mind me," Reso said. "Nobody else does."  
"Aw, Reso. We're going to help you. We're going to get you a great talent, I just know it. We'll head to the Isle of Talents first, and if that doesn't work, we'll go straight to the Good Magician's castle."  
"I hope this works," Reso said sadly. Silently, Lyndsey hoped so too. This was the first person she wasn't sure of. And if she couldn't get him a talent…well, she didn't want to think about that. It had to work! 


End file.
